Rosie Mackean’s cosy January dinner party menu (with time plan)

Meet Rosie Mackean

A chef, food stylist and dinner party revivalist, Rosie completed her chef’s training before spending two years working in London kitchens. Obsessed by cookery books and TV cookery programmes, she turned her passion into a career working on cookbooks and shows such as Nadiya’s Family Favourites for the BBC and Gino’s Italian Family Adventure for ITV. She has a popular Substack, The Dinner Party, and published her first book last year: Good Time Cooking (Pavilion Books £26). Follow her on Instagram.

Rosie’s January menu for six

Brown shrimp, chicory and blood orange salad
“This is a gorgeous winter salad, bursting with flavours – it feels chic, luxurious and grown-up. Bitter, crisp chicory leaves are draped in a creamy dressing, spiked with segments of bright blood orange and their zest, with little pops of briny sweetness coming from the brown shrimp and warmth from the shallots and tarragon. Importantly it’s best with good bread or toast, for mopping and piling and generally enjoying all the delicious contrasts and juices. An elegant but moreish start to a dinner party.”

Chicken braised in vinho verde with romesco potatoes
“We’re travelling to the Iberian Peninsula for our main. I’ve braised the chicken in vinho verde for tenderness and a sharp sauce, balanced with butter and coriander. On the side, waxy spuds in piquant romesco sauce soak up the smoky flavours.”

Honeyed mascarpone tart with oven-poached rhubarb
“This impressive pud is simple to make. I’ve given a recipe for a slightly sweet pastry, but shop-bought shortcrust is great too if you’re time-poor (you’ll need about 250g). This tart is sweet and creamy, so it needs something a little sharp with it such as oven-poached rhubarb. Do try seasoning your poaching liquid with Angostura bitters – it adds a sherbet-like flavour.”

Getting ahead with your dinner party

“My hosting philosophy is that you should be doing minimal cooking while guests are around. Spreading the workload is easier than you think – restaurant chefs prep or cook nearly everything before service to make life easier, and so should you. Here’s a plan for these recipes so you can see when and what you can prep ahead, making sure the day doesn’t feel overwhelming and you can have a good time cooking.”

Discover more inspiring menus for entertaining.